The legal department of the UOC commented on the actions of the reserve to restrict the access of the monastery to the three buildings of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra on July 6, 2023. This was reported by the Information and Educational Department of the UOC.

The lawyers explained that at present there is a valid Agreement No. 2 dated July 19, 2013 on the gratuitous use by a religious organization of religious buildings and other property that is state property, concluded between the National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve and the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (men’s monastery) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

“This agreement has not expired. Currently, the Economic Court of Kiev is considering a case filed by the monastery against the reserve to invalidate the unilateral refusal to perform the contract, as well as a case filed by the reserve against the monastery to remove obstacles to the use of property. These cases are located pending before the court, and no decision on the merits of the dispute has been made,” the commentary says.

The Legal Department noted that as a result of illegal and arbitrary actions, without a corresponding court decision, representatives of the reserve broke the locks and damaged the doors in the 70th building, which is the residence of the Primate of the UOC, the 69th and 71st buildings. In addition, believers were restricted access to places of worship, thereby limiting the constitutionally enshrined right to freely practice any religion.

“There are facts of beating people who tried to prevent the seizure of the shrine. In response to numerous calls from believers to the 102 telephone hotline, they received information that police officers were on site, so there was no response to reports of crimes. An investigative task force was called , which also does not come to the call for a long time,” the lawyers of the UOC said.

“Considering the above, on July 6, 2023, the reserve arbitrarily, without a corresponding court decision, restricted the monastery’s access to the three buildings of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra,” the commentary says.